Gestures
A/N: This story was set during OotP. Tonks and Remus's friendship/maybe-a-little-flirting days. :)
"I can't find the Marauder's Map!" bellowed Harry Potter from the second floor of the house of Black. He ran down the stairs with measured steps (so as not to wake Mrs. Black's screaming portrait) and burst into the kitchen, panting slightly. He was clearly panicking—the Map was important if he and his friends were going to uncover more mysteries in the Hogwarts Castle.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Remus Lupin said in surprise as he saw his old friend's son with a slightly crazed expression.
"I'm—I'm looking for the Ma-Ma-Marauder's Map, Lupin. It wasn't in my trunk where I put it last night. I thought Kreacher might have it here somewhere…" he started rummaging through the cabinets, looking for Kreacher's lair.
Remus chuckled as he set his cup of tea at the table. "I got it right here, Harry." He got the Map from the inside pocket of the coat he was wearing. Harry gazed at him in astonishment. "Remus, how--?"
"You let me borrow it last night, remember? Just before you went to bed with Ron. I told you I was going to return it this morning before I left. Here it is," Lupin smiled as he handed back the Map to Harry.
Harry laughed nervously at him. "Merlin, I think I'm getting paranoid! It's because of Kreacher's snooping. I have to keep my stuff in double check all the time while I'm here."
Lupin smiled. "Just don't forget where you leave your things and you'll be fine." He took a sip of his tea.
"Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Remus. I'm going back to bed now," said Harry, glancing at his watch. It read 4.35am.
"Sleep well, Harry." Remus chuckled to himself. He's just like James, he thought.
A few minutes after Harry went upstairs, Remus heard the front door creak open and then swing shut. He curiously looked at the kitchen door to see who it had been. The door opened and in came Nymphadora Tonks, looking very tired and worn from her night shift.
Tonks looked up to see Lupin sitting alone in the kitchen table, sipping his tea. She smiled at him. He smiled back.
"Wotcher, Remus." Tonks sat down on the chair opposite him.
"Hey, Tonks. You look tired. Do you want me to fix you coffee or tea?" Remus asked.
"A tea would be heaven. Thanks so much."
Remus went to the sink and fixed her a cup of tea, using magic a little bit. When he set the tea in her hands, Remus said, "How in the world did you manage to come inside without waking up Mrs. Black?"
Tonks looked at him, feigning a hurt look, and said, "I can manage from time to time, you know." After a few seconds, both of them cracked up. "I don't know. Luck, I suppose. I'm just so tired I didn't notice anymore."
"Well thank Merlin for that. She would've woken up the whole house."
"Yeah. So what are you doing here, up in the middle of the night?"
"Actually, I just wanted a cup of tea. Then Harry came bursting down here, looking for the Marauder's Map," Lupin answered.
"What happened?" Tonks asked, curious.
"He thought Kreacher stole the Map and he was frantic." Lupin laughed. "He is so like James. Then I reminded him that he let me borrow the Map last night before bed. Never seen him look so relieved."
Tonks laughed appreciatively. "Cool. I haven't actually seen the Map myself, you know."
"Really? I thought Harry already showed it to you."
"Not yet. I always forget to ask him. What's it about, anyway? You helped make it, right?"
Lupin smiled. "Yes. James, Sirius and Peter made it with me. We were in school when we created the Map. James and Sirius's extensive knowledge of the Castle made it easier to make. Of course, it isn't complete. The Room of Requirement and The Chamber of Secrets aren't included there. We didn't exactly see those places during our time there."
"I see. You guys were really into mischief then, weren't you?"
"Yes, I am afraid. Dumbledore made me Prefect during my fifth year, probably hoping that I could control James and Sirius better than the others. I'm sad to say that he may have been disappointed with me as a Prefect," Remus chortled.
"I wasn't much for academics, myself. I thought school meant having fun with your friends. And occasionally, playing tricks on other people. Me and my friends used to make fun of Peeves all the time. Man, was he pissed off with us at that time!" Tonks laughed, remembering the trouble she got into at school.
"Really? Well, well. I must say—if you went to school with us, you would probably be a friend of the Marauders too."
"I guess so. Must be fun to do mischief all the time," Tonks said sarcastically. Lupin stood up and moved his hand across the table to get Tonks's cup. As he did, his hand accidentally brushed hers. He looked up to find her blushing furiously and looking down at the table.
Remus withdrew his hand immediately and cleared his throat. "Nymphadora, are you done with your cup?"
Tonks looked at him incredulously. "How dare you!"
Lupin, taken aback, said, "What did I do?" It must have been my hand. You're really stupid, Lupin! Say sorry! He thought frantically.
"Tonks, I—" he started.
"How dare you call me that name?!" she screeched before he could finish.
"I—what?" Lupin looked at her.
"Nymphadora! I told you not to call me that, Lupin!"
Suddenly, Remus realized that she had not been mad because of his hand brushing hers accidentally-on-purpose. She was mad because he called her by her first name. Remus burst out laughing. "You—Nymphadora…don't like…" he said between laughs.
Tonks wasn't about to give in. No matter how much he liked Lupin, she won't back down on this one. How dare he? Calling her by her first name when she explicitly told him not to!
"You think that's funny, huh? I'll show you what's funny!" She tackled Lupin out of his chair and tickled his sides until he begged for her to stop.
"Not until you tell me what my name is!" Tonks said, laughing madly as Lupin tried to tickle her behind her ears. Tonks was surprised that he remembered where her soft spot was—Lupin found that out accidentally when Sirius tried to scare her by breathing in her ear and touching the back of it after; she nearly woke Mrs. Black's painting with her scream.
"Nymphadora!" Lupin said, trying to reach behind her ears. Tonks tickled him even harder. "Stop, stop! OK, OK! Tonks! Your name is Tonks," Lupin finally said.
Tonks finally sat up. She was tickling him so hard that she didn't realize that she was practically on top of Remus. Thank God there wasn't anyone downstairs.
Remus sat up too, but he did it too quickly after Tonks that when he was finally off the floor, their noses were practically touching. Tonks blushed furiously and tried to look away. But Lupin held her gaze so intently that she thought her eyes were going to tear up from not blinking for too long.
After a few seconds, Lupin leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. Tonks suppressed her gasp of surprise as she closed her eyes at the contact. What in the world was that? She thought. She never expected Lupin to return her feelings (not that he had any idea about that. At least, not yet). What just happened?
Darn it! Lupin thought. I'm just supposed to be her friend. Friends don't go around kissing each other's noses! You're such an idiot, Moony!
After he pulled away (his lips seemed to linger longer on her nose than they both expected), Lupin stood up and dusted his clothes. Then he held out his hand for Tonks.
"Thanks," she mumbled, not quite meeting his eyes.
"You're welcome." Lupin distracted himself by looking around the kitchen. He glanced at the clock that hung above the sink. It was almost half past five in the morning.
"I thought you were tired," Lupin tried to joke. He looked at Tonks, who was clumsily fixing the table chairs.
"Oh…I was. But some people's, ahem, gestures seem to have re-energized my entire body." She glanced mischievously at him.
"Oh, what can I say? I know better than you do in keeping the mind and body awake." Lupin casually flicked his wand to clean up the little mess that they had done in the kitchen. He smiled at her (What did his smile mean? Tonks wondered) and strolled out of the kitchen, seemingly unaware that her heart was pumping against her rib cage furiously.
A/N: So what did you guys think? Please leave a review! This is my first TonksxLupin fic and I'd really appreciate it if you share your thoughts about this. I like this couple, especially since Lupin is one of my favorite fictional characters ;) Thanks so much for reading! -HÜ